If you own the copyright to the photo then please include it but we'll be judging the text not the image so include as much information as you can - website, description and everything else you can think of. Tips should be about 100 words - and don't forget to read the terms and conditions.

An amazing posada in the Venezuelan Andes, Casa Sol is located in the center or Merida, the most chilled out city in Venezuela. With paragliding, walking and mountain climing a short trip outside of the city there is loads to do. The design of the posada is beautiful, with internal courtyards and a vibrant tropical garden behind. A traditional breakfast of arepas with local cheeses and frech juices is served in the garden, with hummingbirds up in the trees above our heads. Highly reccomended!

Fantastic boutique pousada near to probably the best beach in Buzios with a lovely hippyish calm feel and a fantastic buffet breakfast on the eclectic terrace. Family owned and run, it even has a mini spa, with free treatments available. Wonderful returning back after an evening meal to the honesty bar and music chosen by the guests, sitting on the beautiful veranda near to the pool, listening to the sea. Have been twice and will return!

Unlike most of the accommodation on the stunning Ilha Grande (Brazil) - clustered in the tourist-packed port of Vila Da Abrao - Posada Das Palmas sits with a single neighbour on an isolated beach across the island. Yes, this means it’s a pain to get to/ from - a 45 minute trek in the thick heat or a choppy boat ride. Yes, the owners are slightly eccentric and the service is patchy. But it’s cheap and you get to sip generous Caipirinhas on a perfect beach shared with a just a few locals…surely the whole point of being there. Paradise.

Not much to look at on the outside but a haven or tranquility and comfort on the inside in a beautiful old house with lovely communal areas and roof terrace. Breakfasts are lovely.

In the old town - a short walk from the ferry terminal from Buenos Aires and to the city centre.

Team tip: arrive on a Saturday morning and head to the Parilla restaurants in the Mercado del Puerto. For carnivorous only. If you love meat, I swear you will never eat a better meal and you may need some time to 'horizontalise' afterwards.

Looking out onto Lago Ibera in the middle of 13,000 sq kms of fascinating wetlands sits Posada de Laguna. Access is by a long dirt track which becomes a rutted skid pan in heavy rain; however it's worth the effort. The welcome is warm and friendly, staff helpful and the atmosphere relaxed. And of course the highlights are the abundant wildlife population of the lake on the doorstep. The Posada has it's own flat bottomed boats for exploring and a knowledgeable guiding team. A great stay.

Francois, an architect from the Alps, stopped off here on a motorbike journey from Mexico to Patagonia 19 years ago. He liked what he saw, bought a coffee plantation and designed and built an eco friendly hideaway using sustainable anti-seismic materials such as bamboo. Home grown organic coffee is still served at the hostelry which is perched on a hill overlooking the pretty, historic town of San Agustin and close to the Parque Arqueologico where there are 100s of pre-Colombian statues.

The posada in question - Ritoque Raices - is nestled amongst the foliage with commanding views of the beautiful beach, popular with local surfers. I arrived early evening, on foot, unable to find the accommodation. I then watched the lone local surfer ride a wave all the way in, pick up his board and then jog up the beach towards me. The hostel owner greeted me with a welcoming smile and led me to the building, with a mix of comfortable doubles and dorms.

Gorgeous sunsets, accompanied by fresh BBQ'd fish and local pisco make this a tranquil getaway that is only a 1 hour bus journey north of Valparaiso. Horseback riding and sea-kayaking also a possibility, it is a wonderful place to spend a few days.

With or without a car, it’s necessary to travel along Valparaiso’s stunningly dramatic coastline to get to Posada del Parque, located in the national reserves surrounding Ritoque. Looking out over the glittering flats of the wetlands and the surreal undulating flow of the giant sand dunes, this Posada is blissfully placed for a peaceful retreat (the sound of the Pacific Ocean is also an excellent remedy). Activities range from kayaking to yoga, although the best way to admire the scenery is on horse-back. Make sure you don’t miss the sunsets and the evening barbecues hosted by owners, Osvaldo and Monica.

When visiting Parque de Lencoes Maranhenses, start and end your trip in Sao Luis, old French colonial town in Brazilian tropics. This pousada

http://www.portasdaamazonia.com.br/eng/portas.htm is one of the best in town, with tastefully preserved old world charm and spacious comfortable rooms. Don't miss the Pizzeria next to it - photo taken during a short evening downpour.

El Capullo is just as cool as it appears in the website - a restored colonial house in a beautiful treelined, cobbled street in the quaint little town of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. The anglo-american owners, Tom & Kelli, fired up the barbecue for us as we chatted with them into the wee hours swopping latin American adventure stories. And they have some stories having previously ran a hostel for several years in Nicaragua.

The back garden is idyllic with a pool and lovely shady trees. The posada is modern on the inside and full of artwork they had brought with them from Nicaragua and pieces they have bought locally in Colonia.

If you want a break from Buenos Aires or just an awesome steak with some great people, look no further.

The hostel ´Casa Los Molles´ is situated in the tiny village of Tilcara that overlook the hills of Quebrada de Humahuaca, 4 hours away from Salta on the way to the Bolivian border. The village is quaint and is near the amazing rock formations of Purmamarca and the Argentian salt flats but I would have had a far less of a good time there if I didn´t stay in this hostel.

It is converted house ran and owned by Diego and his friends help run the place, there is a vegetable garden, which they pick each day to make amazingly tasty and cheap food - they even have a vegetarian menu, which if you´re a vegetarian like me is a very welcome surprise. The guys will help you with any problem or query you have although they´re not fluent in English but you are in a tiny village in the middle of no-where and the clientele of the hostel is a nice mix of Westerners and locals, which gives it a more pleasent feel as it is a converted home you could almost be chilling with your (new) mate in his house. There´s an area for a bon fire and you can buy alcohol there but also bring your own in but what really adds the proverbial icing is how pretty the place is as the front wall, two walls in the patio and a room inside are all covered in fantastic murals, one of which is a great cover of yellow submarine.

If there was a Spanish phrase for ‘exactly what it says on the tin’, then I’m sure it would form the by-line for Hostel Maria Case, as entering this charming little guesthouse you really do feel as if you are a guest in Maria’s home – which makes sense really, when I think about it.

Situated in La Serena on the Chilean coastline, Maria and ‘Pancho’ (not poncho, you gringo!) run a lovely little guesthouse-come-leather workshop from their family home. The rooms are basic, but a good location near the bus station coupled with warm hospitality and delightful garden make it a wonderful place to stay.

La Serena is a quiet town, but is situated near a number observatories offering stargazing in the Atacama Desert, an incredible experience which was certainly one of the high-lights (excuse the pun!) of my South American experience.

When it came to thank our hosts and check-out, Pancho asked us how long we had before our bus. Fifteen minutes, it seemed, was ample for what he had in mind. He led us into the garage/workshop where, with what appeared to me to be a total disregard for the advancing minutes hand, he taught us how to cut, stamp and die leather for a bracelet - a memento which I still wear occasionally three years on. Needless to say, we made it onto the bus in time with a fond memory that we hadn’t bargained for. Thoroughly recommended.

Rambling colonial house set around a courtyard paved with fossils. In this beautiful colonial village the posada is the perfect place to stay . Full of antiques and quirky art, it also has friendly staff and comfy beds. The village is great for wandering , people watching and shopping for handicrafts.

This is a picture of the central courtyard in the Ecopacker's Hostel in central Cuzco. I stayed here when I followed the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. I had an amazing time here. The rooms are clean, there are plenty of facilities, free wi-fi, computers, tv room, and bar which is often packed in the evenings.